22-Year-Old Builds Anti-Piracy Platform for African Creators

Adeyemi Akitoye was just four years old when he first sat at his parents' computer, but that early curiosity led him to build something African creators desperately need. At 22, he's launched Knowvas, an anti-piracy platform that protects digital content while giving artists full control over their work.

The cybersecurity graduate from Dominion University in Ibadan, Nigeria, saw a problem plaguing African creators everywhere: once someone downloads your ebook, comic, or audiobook, you lose control. Buyers can resell it, share it freely, or undervalue your work, and most platforms can't stop them.

Akitoye taught himself the skills universities didn't provide. While his cybersecurity program focused on theory and risk management, he downloaded online courses and learned penetration testing, software development, and how to build secure systems from scratch. No bootcamps, no formal training, just determination and free resources.

The idea for Knowvas crystallized when Okada Books, a popular platform for African writers, shut down in 2024. Akitoye and his father recognized the gap in the market and decided to fill it together, launching officially in October 2025.

The platform works like streaming services do for movies. Content isn't available as downloadable files that can be copied endlessly; instead, it's accessed through controlled systems within the app. Creators can read your book or listen to your audiobook, but they can't redistribute it.

Why This Inspires

What makes Knowvas special isn't just the technology. Creators maintain complete control even after publishing, able to update their work, adjust pricing, and manage access anytime. That flexibility puts power back in artists' hands, something rare in the digital marketplace.

Working with his father as co-founder has been unexpectedly smooth. While Akitoye serves as Chief Technology Officer building the technical infrastructure, his dad acts as CEO, onboarding creators and securing the infrastructure credits that keep the startup running. Most people didn't understand the vision, but his father got it immediately.

The young founder hasn't had an easy path. He's juggled freelance web development work to pay bills while building Knowvas, having already worked in graphic design, video editing, and motion graphics before even starting university. Creating a startup without steady income means sacrifice, but Akitoye believes in what he's building.

African creators finally have a platform that respects their work and their rights, built by someone who understands both the technical challenges and the creative struggles they face.